The Deepwater Horizon, a $350 Million, 378 foot tall semisubmersible oil rig that was drilling in 5,000 feet of the Gulf of Mexico tragically blew up in a massive fire ball on April 20, 2010. The rig had just gotten done with the deepest oil drill in history (35,000 feet) and was going for another 13,000 foot deep drill. During this drill, there was a problem. The drill got stuck. A tool was used to go down to the bottom and sever the pipe. This caused for a huge loss of money, time, and a drilling tool called “mud”. “Mud” helps keep the oil which is under immense pressure from shooting up the drill pipe, and damaging the rig. This loss of “mud” made drilling more dangerous, but still it continued. Because of the loss of time, the BP Manager called for an increase in drilling speed, which decreased the amount of “mud” used even more.
Deepwater Horizon before Explosion
Because of the lack of “mud” being used, there was a leak in the pipe, causing flammable fumes to waft across the deck of the oil platform toward the generators that power the electronics on the platform. As alarms blared, crews began to run for cover behind 3 inch thick fireproof doors. Then it happened, massive explosions which literally blow the doors out of place, and throw men across the safety room. As life boats sped away, men jumped into the flaming ocean just to escape the inferno, but all they find is the same disaster on the top of the water.
Deepwater Horizon on Fire
For 86 days oil spewed from the oil well below the deepwater horizon, dumping more than 200 Million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. At its peak, the oil slick was the size of Kansas, but by July 26, 2010 it was down to the size of New Hampshire. But some of the oil is disappearing. It cannot be found on the surface, or seen from the sky, but all of it has not been removed yet. Experts say that the amounts have been absorbed into the environment, but others say it is submerged between the surface and the bottom.
The Deepwater Horizon, a $350 Million, 378 foot tall semisubmersible oil rig that was drilling in 5,000 feet of the Gulf of Mexico tragically blew up in a massive fire ball on April 20, 2010. The rig had just gotten done with the deepest oil drill in history (35,000 feet) and was going for another 13,000 foot deep drill. During this drill, there was a problem. The drill got stuck. A tool was used to go down to the bottom and sever the pipe. This caused for a huge loss of money, time, and a drilling tool called “mud”. “Mud” helps keep the oil which is under immense pressure from shooting up the drill pipe, and damaging the rig. This loss of “mud” made drilling more dangerous, but still it continued. Because of the loss of time, the BP Manager called for an increase in drilling speed, which decreased the amount of “mud” used even more.
For 86 days oil spewed from the oil well below the deepwater horizon, dumping more than 200 Million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. At its peak, the oil slick was the size of Kansas, but by July 26, 2010 it was down to the size of New Hampshire. But some of the oil is disappearing. It cannot be found on the surface, or seen from the sky, but all of it has not been removed yet. Experts say that the amounts have been absorbed into the environment, but others say it is submerged between the surface and the bottom.